Big Three Automakers Accuse The Eu Of  Blocking Full-size Truck Imports And Going Against The 'spirit' Of Trump's Tariff Deal

Trygve Finkelsen/Shutterstock

Good morning! It's Wednesday, April 8, 2026, and this is The Morning Shift, your regular roundup of nan apical automotive headlines from astir nan world, successful 1 place. This is wherever you'll find nan astir important stories that are shaping nan measurement Americans thrust and get around.

In this morning's edition, nan Big Three automakers opportunity nan European Union is blocking their monolithic trucks from entering nan bloc and violating tariff deals, nan Trump management tells Ford to get bent complete aluminum tariff relief, Stellantis wants its dealers to really cognize what nan hellhole they're trading and it's successful precocious talks pinch China's Leapmotor to build an Opel EV.

Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

The Big Three automakers are nary excessively pleased pinch the European Union, accusing nan bloc of keeping their full-size pickup trucks disconnected European roads, and starring to 1 unnamed executive to declare nan EU is successful "a amended position" than nan U.S. successful the waste and acquisition warfare started by President Donald Trump. Of course, this is each a spot silly. 

I mean, these trucks relationship for little than 0.1% of nan full European car market, and now its threatening to overshadow a broader waste and acquisition woody betwixt nan U.S. and Europe, successful which Trump agreed to trim European import duties from 27.5% to 15%. That statement was really finalized past year, but nan EU has delayed its ratification. 

Andrew Puzder, nan U.S.'s ambassador to nan EU, said that nan bloc's plans to alteration information rules could breach nan tone of nan waste and acquisition woody if they extremity up preventing immoderate American vehicles from being sold complete there. Perhaps nan instruction to beryllium learned present is that Europe takes its information much earnestly that we do, but that's a communicative for different day. From the Financial Times:

"Right now Europe is successful a amended position than nan US," said an executive astatine 1 Detroit carmaker, if nan EU secured little tariffs and US vehicles were unopen out.

The EU agreed past August to trim its tariffs connected US vehicles from 10 per cent to zero, while nan US will complaint 15 per cent connected EU car imports.

[...]

The conflict centres connected nan EU's Individual Vehicle Approval scheme, which allows definite bespoke aliases uncommon models, including those produced for different markets, to beryllium imported nether little stringent standards.

[...]

The European Commission is now adjacent to finalising changes to tighten nan scheme, which US carmakers fearfulness would unopen retired nan mini number of ample pick-up trucks presently allowed.

The changes, they claim, would tally antagonistic to nan waste and acquisition deal, nether which nan EU agreed not only to trim tariffs connected US imports to zero but besides to recognise American car standards, opening nan doorway to much US-built vehicles.

"We would hope . . . issues for illustration nan IVA will beryllium resolved successful nan tone and accordant pinch nan position of that agreement," Puzder said. "You can't person debased tariffs and monolithic non-tariff waste and acquisition barriers and declare you've sewage a functioning relationship."

The executive astatine nan US carmaker said: "The US management is alert that not only is Europe dragging its feet connected nan waste and acquisition agreement, but they're besides looking astatine restricting US products and limiting customer prime successful Europe."

In a missive to commerce caput and guy who spent astatine slightest 1 day connected a vessel pinch Jefferey Epstein, Howard Lutnick, nan American Automotive Policy Council (lobby group for Ford, GM and Stellantis) urged nan Trump management to artifact nan EU's determination to tighten IVA rules.  

The Commission initiated a betterment of nan strategy successful 2024 to adjacent loopholes it said could let unsafe cars connected EU roads. The motorboat of nan revised strategy is expected successful 2027.

Since nan EU-US waste and acquisition woody was finalised, nan Transport & Environment group has warned that allowing much "monster" US pick-up trucks connected European roads would summation nan risks for pedestrians, cyclists and different drivers.

Of nan 7,000-ish Big Three pickup trucks sold successful nan EU successful 2024, Ram — by acold nan worst trading of nan Big Three successful America — accounted for astir 5,200. The Commission's study characterized nan Ram's hood arsenic "so precocious that children aged up to 9 twelvemonth aged opinionated straight successful beforehand cannot beryllium seen by nan mean driver." That benignant of point is par for nan people successful nan U.S., obviously, but European regulators aren't rather arsenic keen.

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Despite some executive kowtowing to Trump, nan management has refused requests to springiness Ford and different automakers alleviation from steep aluminum tariffs aft fires ripped done nan Novelis aluminum manufacturing installation successful upstate New York past September. That SNAFU has created a awesome proviso bottleneck, particularly for cardinal vehicles for illustration nan F-150. The installation is expected to beryllium offline until astatine slightest this June. From The Wall Street Journal:

The works is nan largest home supplier of aluminum expanse for nan U.S. automotive industry, serving astir a twelve companies including Ford, Stellantis, General Motors and overseas automakers pinch U.S. accumulation facilities.

Atlanta-based Novelis, a portion of India's Hindalco Industries has been making up for nan mislaid accumulation astatine Oswego pinch aluminum from its plants successful Europe and South Korea. But nan company's imported metallic is taxable to a 50% work nether President Trump's tariff regime. That costs is passed on to automakers erstwhile they acquisition nan aluminum.

The disruption has astir affected Ford, which relied connected nan works for nan aluminum exterior of its F-150 truck, nan longtime champion trading automobile successful nan country.

Now, Ford is petitioning nan Trump management for assistance, asking officials for alleviation from duties arsenic nan works returns to afloat service. Unfortunately for Ford and its customers Trump's charismatic statement has beautiful overmuch been "cry astir it." Conversations continue, but officials person apparently told these companies that they've already provided immoderate alleviation from different nationalist information tariffs past year, erstwhile they allowed them to recoup immoderate of nan tariff costs that they paid for automotive parts.

A White House charismatic said that while Ford and different automakers "have raised proviso concerns successful ray of nan Novelis incident, they person not requested tariff alleviation connected this matter successful a peculiarly pronounced way."

[...]

Ford, which hosted Trump successful January for a mill sojourn extracurricular Detroit, said successful February that it had already taken a $2 cardinal deed from nan fires and expected to walk $1 cardinal much this twelvemonth connected imported aluminum.

Automakers and different users of alloy and aluminum products could beryllium connected nan hook for moreover higher tariffs successful nan coming months, aft nan Trump management overhauled nan metals tariffs past week. Under nan changes, galore vanished products containing aluminum and alloy will beryllium taxable to a 25% work connected nan afloat worth of a product, alternatively of a 50% levy connected conscionable nan worth of metal. The tariff costs for galore products are apt to summation pinch a little tariff assessed connected nan full product.

Imported rolled aluminum expanse remains taxable to a 50% tariff arsenic a metallic commodity material. That 50% tariff is already mostly reflected successful nan costs for domestically produced aluminum, arsenic well. Buyers salary a abstracted complaint connected their metallic purchases that covers various costs for delivering aluminum, including nan tariff. This transportation premium is now astir $2,500 a metric ton, according to S&P Global Energy.

Currently, Ford and different aluminum buyers successful nan U.S. are paying nan tariffs successful nan premium, and that's sloppy of whether nan aluminum they're utilizing is made successful nan U.S. aliases imported. As you whitethorn person guessed, this hurts customers, too. The rising marketplace value for aluminum has driven up buyers' costs for nan metallic and, successful turn, nan transportation complaint pinch nan tariff.

Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Have you ever walked into a car dealership and instantly clocked that you knew more than nan income feline did? Well, Stellantis wants to hole that. As it overhauls its lineup, nan institution is aiming to springiness its trader unit from seashore to seashore an immersive, hands-on acquisition pinch its latest models to get them up to speed. 

The automaker is kicking disconnected a 20-city circuit that'll put trader unit down nan instrumentality of nan Ram 1500, Dodge Charger Sixpack, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Chrysler Pacifica truthful they tin get to cognize nan products they're trading better. Even nan Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak and Ram 1500 SRT TRX will beryllium astir for sampling. Honestly, this is conscionable truthful refreshing to hear, arsenic we've each sewage stories astir dealers conscionable having zero hint astir nan cars they're selling. From Automotive News:

The one-day training programs see acquisition sessions successful summation to nan driving opportunities. Stellantis intends to train 14,000 group during nan three-month program. Other circuit stops see Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix.

The "Unstoppable 2026 Spring Training Tour" is portion of a broader operational realignment that includes hiring much than 2,000 engineers to heighten value and improving trader support by adding complete 200 sales, work and parts representatives to its section operations.

[...]

Stellantis will springiness participants a chance to thrust competing models to get a amended consciousness of what they're up against.

[...]

The training sessions are surgery into modules pinch various topics.

One is dedicated to nan revived Cherokee and what Stellantis said is its unsocial worth proposition. The Cherokee is Jeep's first hybrid successful North America and has a mixed substance system standing of 37 mpg.

Another is focused connected nan Ram 1500, offering a chance to acquisition nan Hemi V-8 and Hurricane inline-six engines and comparison nan pickup pinch competitors. This module besides specifications nan differences betwixt nan 420-hp standard-output Hurricane and nan 540-hp high-output variant.

The institution besides will explicate nan caller Hurricane inline-four that debuted successful nan refreshed 2026 Grand Cherokee and nan range-extended electrical exertion powering upcoming variants of nan Grand Wagoneer and Ram 1500.

The automaker is apparently encouraging each dealership employees, not conscionable salespeople, to subordinate in. It's besides nan first clip nan institution has done immoderate benignant of wide training programme since 2013. There was a small-scale programme for electrical vehicles past year, but pinch really those are selling, it doesn't look for illustration that was wholly necessary. 

Eyeswideopen/Getty Images

It's a engaged greeting for Stellantis, clearly. The Transatlantic automaker is successful precocious talks pinch China's Leapmotor to jointly develop an Opel-branded electrical SUV that would make usage of Leapmotor's exertion but beryllium produced astatine Stellantis' Zaragoza works successful Spain.

Production of nan caller exemplary is slated to commencement successful 2028 pinch an yearly output target location astir 50,000 vehicles. From Reuters:

The deal, if finalised, ‌would thief Stellantis trim nan costs and clip to create a caller EV model, arsenic nan French-Italian automaker shifts attraction to petrol-electric hybrid cars. Earlier this twelvemonth it announced a $25 cardinal writedown related to scaling backmost its EV plans.

It is besides seeking to fend disconnected title from BYD and different Chinese brands successful Europe and amended nan utilisation complaint astatine ​its European plants. Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa, who took nan apical occupation successful June past year, will coming a caller semipermanent business scheme ​on May 21.

Stellantis formed a business pinch Leapmotor aft acquiring astir a 5th of nan Chinese institution successful 2023. They ⁠also person a associated venture, Leapmotor International, that is successful complaint of nan income and accumulation of Leapmotor cars extracurricular China.

The caller exemplary would stock ​a communal architecture pinch nan Chinese automaker's B10 compact SUV, which will besides beryllium assembled later this twelvemonth for nan European marketplace astatine nan Zaragoza plant, ​two of nan sources said.

[...]

Under nan position being discussed, Leapmotor would proviso cardinal technologies and components including physics and electrical parts, while Opel would creation nan exterior, 1 of nan sources said, adding that a important information ​of nan vehicle's improvement would return spot successful China.

These talks betwixt nan 2 companies connected nan Opel task apparently started successful precocious 2025, and if each goes according to plan, an charismatic statement could beryllium reached arsenic early arsenic this month. Stellantis said that location has been "regular engagement" betwixt nan 2 astir ways to grow their collaboration, but it didn't spell into specifics.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't expect immoderate exemplary conveyance that comes retired of this tie-up to ever make it to nan U.S. because of everything going connected correct now.

History.com

"Twin Peaks" really is 1 of nan champion shows of each clip (as agelong arsenic you disregard astir of nan 2nd half of play 2 aft they fig retired Laura's murderer). If you haven't watched it, you've really gotta springiness it a try. I cognize David Lynch's style surely isn't for everyone, but nan world of "Twin Peaks" is conscionable truthful rich, fascinating, weird and wonderful. I'm judge it's streaming connected something. Take tomorrow disconnected and watch nan first season. You won't regret it. Anyway, if you want to study much astir nan show, caput complete to History.com.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Despite what nan median American elector probable believes, past night's two-week ceasefire successful nan U.S. and Israel's warfare pinch Iran hasn't instantly made state prices drop. That being said, location are now ships flowing done nan Strait of Hormuz, according to The Wall Street Journal, and WTI Crude Oil futures and Brent Crude are backmost into nan low-$90 range, so it's imaginable we do spot immoderate alleviation astatine nan pump soon — barring immoderate nasty developments. 

Still, it'll return immoderate clip to really spot immoderate downward changes successful state prices astatine nan pump, arsenic nan mean value of a gallon of state roseate again overnight by 2 cents — from $4.14 to $4.16, according to AAA.

The past clip state was complete $4.16 per gallon was backmost successful July of 2022, according to information from nan Energy Information Administration. The mean value of a gallon of state is now up $1.18 — aliases astir 33.1% — since nan warfare first collapsed retired connected February 28, erstwhile it was $2.98.

Here's wherever nationalist mean prices guidelines correct now, according to AAA:

AAA